PLEASE NOTE:  This is indeed the October Newsletter, even thought you will not receive it until sometime in November.  Once in a while, your otherwise responsible editor disappears for family visits in the rest of the world – outside Texas, that is.  Must say, it’s good to be back!
       President Bernie Zelazny called the October meeting to order at 7:30 PM in Room 300 Lawrence Hall on the Sul Ross Campus.  There were 15 people present. 
       Bernie reported that a memorial service for Hal Flanders will be held on November 3, at a time to be announced.  Hal was a charter member of the BBAS.  He loved and respected nature in all of its aspects, plants, animals, and even people, with all of our shortcomings.  Knowing Hal was a privilege we will long remember.  We will miss him.
       Bernie reported the discovery of a giant aquifer on Mars, a drainage basin the size of the US, probably holding large amounts of near-surface water.  This find may prove very valuable when we get around to landing people on the red planet.
       The minutes of the previous meeting were accepted as printed in the September Newsletter.

       Betty Grimm submitted the following treasurer's report:

       The last 3 of the 7 formerly unshielded wallpacks on the Pete P. Gallego Center, Sul Ross Campus, now have very good full cutoff shields.
       I spoke with the new Alpine postmaster about the unshielded wallpacks on the new post office.  There may be some small hope of getting those lights shielded or replaced.

       The 82” Otto Struve Telescope, named after McDonald’s first director, has a colorful history.  Struve was the son and grandson of prominent European astronomers.  The 82” scope, then the second largest in the world, and the excellent viewing conditions at McDonald, persuaded Struve to come to our part of the world.
       In 1926, the University of Texas received a $1,000,000 bequest for an observatory from William J. McDonald, a Paris, Texas banker.  At the time, the university had no astronomy department.  McDonald’s heirs objected to the bequest on the grounds that he must have been out of his mind.  Nevertheless, the university eventually received $800,000 in 1930, a princely sum in those days.  The scope was built at a cost of $365,000.
       Early on, the McDonald Obsorvatory was operated in partnership with the University of Chicago, who ran the Yerkes Observatory at Williams Bay, Wisconsin.  Yerkes was the home of the world’s largest refractor, a 42” scope.  But the climate is cold and cloudy, so the Yerkes people were interested in gaining access to a better site.  Over the years, the 82” has been used overwhelmingly for research involving astrophotography and spectroscopy, seldom having an eyepiece on the scope, and seldom offering any opportunity for public viewing. 
       In December, 1999, Shannon found that there was no research scheduled for the 82” in early January.  He took the opportunity to learn to use the scope, and wrote a proposal for public viewing sessions.  In early March, his proposal was approved for 6 nights beginning in May, 2000.  Since then, there have been several 3-hour programs, accommodating up to 15 people at $25 each, and all-night programs at $100 per person.  The programs have been well attended, and reservations must be made in advance. 
       Shannon also presented some materal on the moon that he had prepared for an Elderhostal program.  Beginning with Galileo new telescope in 1609, the moon became an object of intense study.  With his small aperture and low power, Galileo mapped a great many of the moon’s major features.
       Various theories of the moon’s origin have been proposed.  If the earth originated from the accretion of material from a disk around the sun, then perhaps the moon originated in the same way at the same time.  But in that case, the moon should be more like the earth than it actually is.  The moon in fact contains much less iron than the earth, and is much less dense.  The leading theory now holds that the moon resulted from a collision between the earth and a Mars-sized object.  Such a collision, at a proper angle, would dislodge lighter material from the outer portion of the earth, leaving the iron core largely intact, and resulting in a lighter moon.
       As the moon orbits the earth, it largely keeps the same side turned toward us.  Nevertheless, the moon revolves on its axis, but it makes only one revolution per orbit – that is, one revolution per month.  An observer, say, on Jupiter, would see all sides of the moon over the course of a month.
       But even on the earth, we see a little more than half the moon over the course of a month – about 60% –  because of the process of libration.  Libration means something like the oscillation of a balance, a scales (Libra), as it comes to rest.  The moon’s orbit is tilted about 5 degrees in relation to the earth’s orbit, so when the moon is above the earth’s orbital plane we see a little more around its south pole, and when it is below the earth’s orbit, we see a little more around its north pole.  Thus, the moon shows libration in latitude, a kind of nodding up and down.  The moon also shows libration in longitude, swinging left and right over a small angle.  Because the moon’s orbit is elliptical, it moves faster when it is closer to the earth and slower when it is farther away (remember Kepler?).  But the moon rotates on its axis at a constant velocity, so it turns through a greater angle when it is moving slower in its orbit.

If we have not yet received your dues, then please use the convenient envelope addressed to our treasurer that is included with this copy of your Newsletter.

Betty Lou Grimm, Treasurer
Big Bend Astronomical Society, Inc
1001 N 2nd Street, Apt F-22
Alpine, TX 79830